Quote:Local archaeologist Guy Prouty with Vancouver Island University described the incident as shameful and said it was inexcusable that an inspection of the area was not carried out before construction.

He said First Nations rock art served a variety of functions for its indigenous creators and lasting examples are an ethnographic record of spiritual or mythical history.

“They’re very important because any items in the archaeological record such as pictographs or petroglyphs, these are non-renewable. Once they’re destroyed, they’re gone forever,” Prouty added.